Roasted Fennel Soup with Pernod and Smoked Salmon

First, I want to say WOW! Thanks for all those incredible comments, wishes and feedback on my last post. I was so touched by your heartfelt thoughts. It just blew me away. I enjoyed reading them so much, smiling and tearing up all at the same time.

March is here already! Hard to believe but very thankful. February is the hardest month for me. After a long hard winter I am just itching to put away those heavy coats and big boots. Early morning irritation starts with having to pull on the uncomfortable stockings and layer after layer of textile until one feels a bit like the Michelin Man. February is mostly spent cursing under my breath: the iced up windscreen, forever cold hands, itchy scarves, stockings hanging between the knees - the list is long.

So March is welcomed with arms wide open, ready to greet the warmer, longer days and allow Spring to arrive - the quicker the better. I hear those peep toe heels and ballerinas chanting to be let out from their winter hibernation deep in the cupboard and the lighter dresses and skirts tempt me with their vibrant colors.

Inevitably, the very first day with warm rays of sunshine and the slow rise of temperatures comes around and pulls me into its force of attraction. I want to kick off the boots and walk barefooted in the still bleak looking grass. I long to strip off the woolen scarf tucked tightly around my neck and soak up the sun. It’s grueling to restrain.

The markets taunt me too. The very first rhubarb, peas and strawberries color the stalls with their juicy and flamboyant colors. I see delightful tarts, crumbly pavlovas and rich trifles before my eyes. It’s torturous to suppress the cravings.

It’s deceitful! While the temperatures feel warmer the day has a cunning chill and while the luscious produce look voluptuous, they still need time for perfection. I pacify myself, saying only a few more days till Spring really does come around to stay, instead of peeking around the corner for just a day. Till then we warm ourselves with steaming soups using some of the fresh vegetables from the markets.

Fennel is widely available year round and is one of my most favorite vegetables. Popular in the Mediterranean cuisine, often associated with Italian cooking, fennel adds a wonderfully refreshing and slightly sweet flavor to any dish. It is so versatile that it can be prepared raw in a salad or sautéed in olive oil then tossed in some pasta, thrown into soup, but it tastes best when roasted.

For this soup that’s exactly what I did. Gently roasting vegetables unlocks all the caramelized goodness and extracts a more intense flavor out of them. For a vegetable like fennel, which offers a striking anise flavor, this means boosting those flavors to a new level. Serve the soup with chunky rustic bread - you’ll love it!

Preheat oven to 160 degrees C. Arrange the fennel slices in a baking pan and drizzle with olive oil. Roast in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until the fennel is just tender but not brown.

In the meantime melt the butter and sweat the shallots and garlic in a large pot for about 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Heat a pan over low-medium heat. Add the anise seeds and gently roast until fragrant – approx. 30 seconds. Crush the seeds using a pestle and mortar. Add the crushed seeds to the pot with the shallots and garlic.

When the fennel slices are ready transfer to the pot along with the potatoes. De-glaze with the Pernod, scraping the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon to remove any bits that have stuck to it. Pour the vegetable stock, bring to a boil then reduce the heat and simmer for about 15-20 minutes.

When the soup is ready, blend using a hand-held immersion blender into a smooth puree. Stir in the cream making sure the soup does not boil again. Slice the salmon into bite size pieces and add to the soup. Salt and pepper to taste and sprinkle with the chipotle chili. Serve immediately.

You'll find everything you need to know about the versatile fennel in my Food Guide, including selecting the perfect fennel and storing it for perfect freshness.

Verdict

The soup is incredible and offers a complex, yet refreshing flavor. The Pernod adds an exceptional aroma and the sprinkling of the smoky chipotle chili gives it a slight heat. Pairing it with the subtle flavors of smoked salmon is simply fantastic as it gives the soup an additional flavor highlight.

The March session of the Monthly Mingle has just kicked off and my lovely hostess is Chris of Mele Cotte. I’ve “known” Chris for a long time now, she not only has participated in a few mingles but we baked up a fury with the Daring Bakers every month!

Chris has chosen the perfect theme to welcome Spring along with “Berries & Cherries”! I am quite excited about the theme and am looking forward to all your creations. Go on over to Mele Cotte to check out all the details on how you can join this mingle.

27 comments:

How funny that your March has you craving Spring and MY March has me craving Autumn!! This soup sounds so heavenly. I love the intensity of flavor from roasted vegetables and am always roasting something. Looking forward to getting back from my next trip and hunkering down for lovely cool Fall days and good soups like this.

Fennel is a wonderful vegetable and perfect for so many items. Your soup couldn't have come at a more perfect time. Our oldest daughter has to have mouth surgery and can only have soft foods for two weeks. She adores fennel so this will definately become a favorite. It is also still a bit cold here, yesterday we had to have jackets on, it only got to 70 degrees :)

Roasting and caramelising vegetables is hands-down the best way to bring out their flavour if you ask me - so I can just imagine how wonderful this soup must be! Love the contrasting flavours of the sweet fennel and the salty salmon. Inspired!

I love how our seasons are so opposite! March is a time for us to start thinking about comforting braises and casseroles. As a fennel lover this dish sings a beautiful tune! Love the idea of the salmon too!

As you know the seasons in Dubai are bearable, unbearable. Thankfully in the former category still! Fennel is a lovely vegetable but one that shines when fresh from the field and disappoints from the mass produced greenhouse, in my opinion. A dash of pernod helps the inferior kind no end. Lovely recipe and pics.

Thanks for all the comments! Glad to hear so many of you like fennel! An amazing vegetable.

ANON - Pernod has a very distinct taste that cannot really be replaced by wine. Arak/Ouzo would be the counterparts. You could add a few more anise seeds and maybe use a dry Riesling for the soup - but the taste will be slightly different.

This soup sounds comforting and as smooth as velvet ~ I've never thought about roasting fennel, but what a fabulous idea and I adore everything about smoked salmon so I will certainly have to attempt making this soup :)

It seems we both had fennel on our minds Meeta! I love it too, in it's raw or cooked, baked or whatever state. Love this soup too. I agree that it can be a little treacherous out there at the moment; I think the sun is shining so I run out of the house forgetting to put on a coat and well, hmm, it is not that kind of weather yet. Can't wait!

I had a very similar soup, only with crab instead of smokes salmon, years ago...I found your recipe and made it....it´s heavenly, the crab one doesn´t have the smoky thing going on but the juices of the crab with the pernod mix exquisitely! Congrats on this recipe,

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Hello, I am Meeta a freelance food photographer, stylist and writer living in the cuturally rich city of Weimar, Germany with my husband and our son, where I enjoy preparing multi-cultural home cooked meals with fresh organic ingredients. What's for lunch, Honey? is my award winning food blog where I combine my love for food with my love for photography and styling...